Horbat Tafat

Eliran Oren

02/02/2010

Final Report

During May 2008, a salvage excavation was conducted at Horbat Tafat (Permit No. A-5434; map ref. 193567–73/722661–7) after remains of the ancient aqueduct to Dor were damaged during the installation of a gas pipeline. The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and underwritten by the Israel Electric Company, was directed by E. Oren (photography), with the assistance of S. Ya‘aqov-Jam (administration) and R. Mishayev (surveying and drafting).

The aqueduct had been documented in the past and a section of it was excavated for a distance of 1.5 km, southeast of the excavation area (HA-ESI 115:72*). A survey was conducted in 2005 along the route of the gas pipeline, which connects Nahal Hadera and the Hagit power station (HA-ESI 122). Remains of the aqueduct were identified from the Carmel until close to Tel Dor; some of its parts were bedrock-hewn (width c. 0.7 m) and others were built (width of channel c. 0.3 m). It seems that the source of the aqueduct was in the ‘Be’er Tata’ spring that flows near Nahal Daliya and where a shaft and channel were hewn; it terminates at Tel Dor.

The excavation area (16 sq m) was situated c. 1 km northwest of the Fureidis Junction and c. 100 m east of the coastal road. The excavation was carried out 10 m west of the spot where the aqueduct’s remains were destroyed, so as not to cause any damage to the gas pipeline. The meager remains of a north–south aligned wall (W12; length 1.1 m, width 0.5 m; Figs. 1, 2), which was built of small and medium fieldstones, without mortar, were exposed c. 0.8 m below surface. A few worn potsherds were recovered from the excavation. It is possible that the wall was part of the aqueduct’s foundation that was destroyed as a result of agricultural activity.